I would fly literally anywhere right now if I thought it was safe. Cold? Warm? Rainy? Scenic? Site of a nuclear meltdown? I wouldn’t care because I am just so, so tired of being “here.” But I don’t care how desperate I am to get away. I will not get on a plane for the sake of getting on a plane. You would think that’s obvious, but you’d be wrong. Because a seven-hour Australian flight to nowhere sold out in 10 minutes.
And we do mean nowhere, because the plane will take off and land at the exact same airport.
Source: Qantas
Qantas airlines in Australia recently sold out an entire plane to nowhere (which we learned about at CNN). The company’s CEO Alan Joyce said it was “probably the fastest selling flight in Qantas history.” Apparently some people are struck with such a bad case of cabin fever that being crammed into a plane’s cabin is a viable alternative.
The seven-hour flight is meant to be a scenic excursion aboard a Qantas Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. That particular jet features large windows. The plane will take off from the Sydney Domestic Airport on October 10. The flight will then make a big loop covering Queensland, the Gold Coast, New South Wales, and Australia’s remote outback. Guests will get to see sights like the Sydney Harbour and the Great Barrier Reef. And the plane will also do a low flyover over famous landmarks. CNN says there will even be “special” onboard entertainment and a “surprise celebrity host.”
Paramount
For that Qantas instantly sold 134 tickets, covering business class, premium economy, and economy, from anywhere from $566 U.S. to $2,734. And the airline might very well offer this flight again in the near future.
And I don’t get it. Strangely, I think this would be less confusing during normal times. You get to see most of the country from a unique perspective, and it’s a whole day. Sounds like a pleasant Saturday, especially with the plane more than half empty. But seeing all of the places you can’t go to right now? That’s like poor Charlie Bucket standing outside the candy store watching other kids eat chocolate.
I need get away from “here,” even for a few hours. But being reminded of all the places I can’t go isn’t going to help.
Featured Image: Source: Qantas